


You're My Only Hope

by binary_sunrise



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gang's all here - Freeform, Keith needs help, Lance is just doing his civic duty, No Angst, Space Kids get a night off, also I think there are a couple of bad words?, just fun, perfectly harmless, unless you read into it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 11:39:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7572766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/binary_sunrise/pseuds/binary_sunrise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lance knew and accepted that Keith wouldn't get all of his pop culture references - it was all part of that weird hermit lifestyle thing. He didn't usually mind too much; part of the fun was seeing the blank look that crossed Keith's face whenever Lance made a joke. </p><p>But this... this was crossing the line. </p><p>And there was only one thing to be done about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're My Only Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a late-night conversation with tumblr's r-edesignme. I hope this is as fun to read as it was to write!
> 
> The views expressed in this story do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the author. But Star Wars is pretty great.

It should be stated, for the record, that it wasn’t Lance’s fault. At least, not completely. He was willing to take _some_ of the blame, but it had been a collective effort of sorts. Voltron was a team, and they should go down like a team.

Besides, everyone was making a big deal out of nothing; no one had been blown up or stabbed or otherwise irreparably maimed. Sure, maybe he’d _compromised the mission_ and _put everyone’s life in danger_ , but Lance was a look-before-leaping kind of guy. If he saw an opportunity, he took it, and thought about the consequences later. And _this_ , well. There wouldn’t have _been_ any consequences if stupid Keith had just let the comment slide like any _normal_ person would have.

After all, what poor soul in this galaxy – or any other, for that matter – hadn’t seen _Star Wars_?

Shiro stood in the center of the Castle of Lions’ navigation room, arms folded, wearing his best Disappointed Space Dad face. Even with his justified indignation at what had transpired, Lance felt uncomfortably guilty beneath those furrowed brows. Lance’s self-appointed task aboard this ship was to _decrease_ the number of frown lines on his chronically-anxious teammates’ faces, not cause them. That was what his stupid comment had been designed for in the  _f_ _irst_  place-

“Do you understand what you did wrong?” Shiro interrupted Lance’s train of thought. His eyebrows were raised questioningly now, expectantly, an expression specifically designed to make his younger counterparts feel five years old. Unfortunately, it was working.

But Lance wasn’t going to let anyone else know that. He snorted softly and broke eye contact with the Black Paladin as casually as he could, glaring pointedly at a spot to his right instead. “I underestimated Keith’s _complete lack_ of social and cultural knowledge.”

Pidge smirked somewhere behind him. Keith, however, did not sound as amused. “Oh, so it’s _my_ fault?” he demanded, standing deliberately into Lance’s line of sight, directly in front of him. His arms were crossed, too, an unconscious reflection of Shiro. “Because I haven’t wasted the last seventeen years of my life watching _movies_?”

“Star Wars isn’t just a set of _movies_ ,” Lance explained, shaking his head at Keith and giving him a sympathetic look. “They’re a rite of passage, a way of life.”

Allura and Coran, both of whom had watched the spectacle unfold with bewilderment, seemed surprised by this description. The Altaen princess shared a glance with her mustachioed companion before turning wide, curious eyes on Shiro, evidently hoping for a more reliable explanation. Shiro sighed and shook his head. “Lance-”

“No, it’s true!” Pidge chimed in, surprisingly helpful and, even more surprisingly, apparently on Lance’s side. “Not only were they a cultural phenomenon, inspiring decades’ worth of popular culture; they actually played a huge part in shaping the history of the western world during the latter part of the twentieth century. _Star Wars_ is timeless, and may be one of the most important films ever made.”

Hunk was rubbing his chin thoughtfully next to Pidge. “I don’t know, I was always more of a _Star Trek_ fan, myself.”

“No one asked for your science fiction superiority, Hunk,” Pidge said, grinning good-naturedly all the while.

Lance was grinning, too, Pidge’s comment bolstering his argument. “Ya see, Keith? Your hermit lifestyle proved to be detrimental to your historical understanding of your home planet, thus contributing to your failure to recognize a coded phrase in today’s mission.”

" _Coded phrase_?" Keith bristled. “It's not my fault that  _you_ , in the middle of a sensitive holographic transmission, decided to call me some ridiculous name – Obi-Juan, or whatever the fuck you said.”

“No, no. I take full credit for that. It was a great joke. I blame you for openly and naively _questioning_ it in front of the objects of our temporary deception, thereby blowing our cover!”

“I wouldn’t have blown our cover if _you_ had stuck to the names we agreed upon beforehand!” He was more irritated than Lance had ever seen him, an observation that brought the Blue Paladin much satisfaction. “And how can it be a great joke if no one even understood it?”

“ _Everyone_ understood it!” Lance shot back, getting frustrated himself, now. This wasn’t just about the joke anymore; this was about principle. “Anyone who didn’t live under a rock like a _caveman_ would understand it.”

“It was actually a shack,” Hunk interjected, ever so helpfully. “He’s a… a shack-man.”

Lance opened his mouth to reply, but Allura held up a graceful finger and cleared her throat. Everyone shut their mouths quickly and turned to face her. “I believe I have a solution that will not only settle this dispute, but prevent any more from arising in the near future.”

Team Voltron – and Coran – looked at her expectantly. Shiro crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head to the side. “And what would that be, Princess?”

“Why, we should watch this _Star Wars_ thing together, of course! As a bonding exercise!” She clasped her hands in front of her and beamed, looking very pleased with her idea. “And, as an added advantage, everyone on the team would recognize and understand Lance’s silly jokes!”

Lance was affronted. “My jokes are _not_ sil-”

“Lance.” Shiro shot him a silencing look before turning his attention back on Allura. “It’s a movie,” he explained to her patiently. “We wouldn’t have access to it unless someone on the team happened to have the DVDs on them when we stumbled onto Blue Lion back on Earth.”

“And a DVD player,” Lance added, frowning.

“And a television,” Hunk piped up.

“Probably some connecting wires…”

“Guys,” Pidge interrupted, smiling smugly and affectionately patting the ever-present laptop clutched to her chest. “Your thinking is too limited. My laptop is hooked up to the internet whenever we’re in the Castle.”

Hunk’s face lit up. “Space Wifi! Oh, that is _so_ cool.”

Shiro stared between the two techier members of the team. “Space Wifi?”

“I’ve been thinking of it more as an intergalactic data hub, but… Space Wifi works.” Pidge shrugged. “It’s probably Galra, ‘cause they’re usually the ones to store the functional data for their robots and stuff on it.” The Green Paladin smirked. “Unfortunately for the Galra, that makes anything electronic pretty easy to hack into.”

Coran was twirling his mustache thoughtfully. “You’re saying you could… what, access Earth movies the same way you access controls for Galra robots?”

“I mean, I can’t say I’ve tried it yet, but I don’t think it’d be an issue.”

Hunk’s face was scrunched up, somewhere in between skeptical and excited. “We’re gonna… stream… _Star Wars_?”

Lance, meanwhile, was grinning from ear to ear. “We’re gonna stream _Star Wars_.” He dug his elbow into Keith’s side, eliciting an indignant yelp and an agitated glare. “Keith, my friend, your entire life is about to change.”

 

It took more than hour to get the damn thing up and started.

For one thing, they could not come to an understanding as to which order they should watch the movies and, by extension, which one to start with. Pidge, for some god-forsaken reason, insisted on watching the Prequels first, citing “basic mathematics” as evidence; after all, why would the creators have switched around the numbers of each movie if they hadn’t intended Episode I to be watched first? To make matters worse, the Green Paladin had evoked “Techie’s Privilege,” insisting that without their tech-savvy teammate, the others would not even be able to _watch_ the movie in the first place.

But this was half the team’s first introduction to _Star Wars_ , and Lance would be damned if he allowed that introduction to be tarnished by starting with _The Phantom Menace_. He liked the Prequels as much as the next guy, but the Original Trilogy were classics, as well as the source of the infamous reference in question. Besides, Lance was a man of tradition; they were either going to do this the _right_ way, or not at all.

Finally, after a good fifteen minutes of arguing, Shiro put his foot down and took the decision away from both of them, letting Hunk choose instead. “What?” Hunk squawked, far too easy-going to be put in such a position of power. “I- I don’t know, I- I’m not the- the expert on _Star Wars_ …” he stammered, squirming uncomfortably under the expectant glares of his two teammates. He ducked his chin to avoid looking at either of them. Shiro waited patiently. “I guess… I guess…” Hunk closed his eyes and shoved a finger in Lance’s direction. “We should do what he said.”

“Damn straight!” The Blue Paladin leaped to his feet and punched a victorious fist in the air. “Queue that shit up, Pidge, we’re about to take a trip to a galaxy far, far away!”

Coran shifted uncomfortably in his seat beside Allura. “Are we _not_ watching a movie, then?”

Instead of answering, Pidge tapped grumpily away at the keyboard until a bright, starry image appeared on the giant screen in the Command Room. Solid blue letters cut into the galactic expanse, and Lance couldn’t help but let out another _whoop!_ “Here we go, guys!”

The first few notes of the opening theme song were so loud that Keith almost fell out of his chair.

 

Lance did not cry often. He was tough, and tough people did not cry. He prided himself in being one of the only people in his tenth grade history class to not cry during _Forrest Gump_ , and he shed only _one single tear_ at the end of _Marley and Me_. At least, that’s what he always told people.

But for some reason, he could never get past certain scenes of _A New Hope_ without some very manly crying.

By the time the Death Star was destroyed, the heroes accepted their medals, and the galaxy was – at least for the moment – safe from the Empire’s evil clutches, Lance swiped at his eyes as covertly as possible and looked around at his teammates. Hunk, the more-of-a-Star-Trek fan, was crying shamelessly, two salty rivers streaming down his cheeks and over his smiling lips. Pidge sat beside him, laptop still balanced on her lap, smirking softly at the bawling boy beside them. Keith didn’t move, his forearms resting on his thighs as he leaned forward, watching the credits with rapt attention. Shiro was smiling fondly at all of them, catching Lance’s eye and shaking his head with a soft snort.

The only one that didn’t look overly pleased with the ending was Allura. She sat there, watching the credits similar to Keith, a half-frown pulling at her lips. “Why didn’t the Princess get a medal?” she asked slowly, turning her lamplike eyes on Lance.

The Blue Paladin fumbled. “What, Leia? She’s the Princess; she _gives_ the medals.”

Allura was nonplussed. “She helped the Rebels destroy that Death Machine just as much as everyone else. She should get a medal.”

“Yeah, well,” Lance said, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest, watching the familiar names flash across the screen. “She didn’t blow anything up.” He turned his attention to Keith, who was still watching the screen like some important secret was about to be revealed to him. “So, Keith. Whadja think?”

Keith took a couple of seconds to answer, long enough for Lance to raise his eyebrows and share a look with Pidge. Finally, he spoke. “You said there are _more_ of these things?”

Something in his tone made Lance defensive. “Well, I mean, they couldn’t end it like that, of course. A political entity as big and powerful as the Empire isn’t going to disappear after one little attack, and we still have a lot to see of Luke’s training to become a Jedi-”

“Can- Can we watch the next one?” This question was directed at Lance but, when the Blue Paladin was too bewildered at the interruption to answer, Keith turned instead to Pidge. “Can you stream that one, too?”

Pidge’s fingers drummed against the laptop. “I don’t see why not.”

Coran, however, had to object. “I think that’s enough team-building for one day, Paladins. I suggest a few rounds in the training modulator-”

“But _Coran_ ,” Hunk whined, throwing the Altaen his most pathetic pout. “We’ve been training and fighting bad guys and stuff for months. Can’t we just have a little fun?”

The Altaen ginger shared a glance first with Allura, then with Shiro. His gaze dropped to the floor, his mustache quivering as he sighed. “I supposed I don’t have the heart to refuse such an earnest request. But after this, we _must_ find a way to be a little more productive with our time.”

Pidge pulled up _Episode V_ before anyone could change their minds.

 

For the first half of _The Empire Strikes Back_ , Keith was so quiet that Lance was forced to periodically glance in his direction to make sure he was paying attention. And Keith, to his credit, _was_ paying attention. His dark eyes never left the bright screen, and he was evidently so engrossed in the narrative that he couldn’t spare the distraction required to move a muscle. He never spoke, never asked questions; he just _watched_.

That is, until Master Yoda popped up on the screen.

Keith recoiled violently at the character’s obnoxious entrance, throwing a protective arm over his face and leaning so far away from the screen that he almost tipped his chair over. “What-?” he practically squeaked, dropping his arm slowly so that he could see again. “What the _fuck_ is _that_?”

Hunk was the first to recover. “That’s- That’s just Yoda, dude,” he stammered, holding his hands upward submissively as if trying to calm a frightened animal.

The Red Paladin, however, was _not_ calmed in any way. “But what _is_ he?” he demanded, warily watching the movie progress as if waiting for the tiny green puppet to jump out and attack him. Lance could have imagined it, but he though he saw Keith’s fingers hover by his side, as if searching for his Bayard. “Is he the bad guy?”

“ _Darth Vader_ is the bad guy,” Lance replied, wondering if Keith had been paying as much attention as he’d previously thought.

To his surprise, Keith shook his head. “Vader isn’t the bad guy. He’s just…” He scratched his head. “He’s doing the best he can with a bad situation. He's a victim in all of this just as much as anyone else.”

Lance opened his mouth to object, but Allura, of all people, beat him to it. “Darth Vader serves the Dark Side, as well as his… evil Master. No matter what his circumstances are, he’s doing bad things under the banner of bad people, making him a bad guy.”

Keith scowled. “It’s not that simple. He hasn’t shown much of his own motivations yet. I don’t think we know enough about him to decide whether or not he’s-”

“HMMM!” Hunk grunted loudly, in a perfectly croaky imitation of Yoda, directly behind Keith. “A point, the boy may have.”

The smaller teen jumped at least a foot in the air, twisting out of his chair and backing into a defensive stance, eyes wide. Then realization dawned on him and he scowled, looking even more ready for a fight. He threw his head back and groaned. “You guys are the _worst_!” he huffed, shaking his head in something akin to angry disappointment.

Lance couldn’t help it, he really couldn’t. The laugh burst out of his mouth like steam from a kettle and he doubled over, clutching at his sides. He heard Pidge do the same to his left, loud and genuine and positively _gleeful_. Hunk chuckled as well, looking modestly pleased with himself. Allura and Coran succumbed to a nearly-matching set of giggles, and even Shiro cracked a smile. “A bit jumpy, are we, Keith?”

Then, to everyone’s surprise, Keith stalked away and out of the room without so much as a backwards glance. Lance’s laughter ceased immediately in the face of potentially failing in his mission to socially educate his teammate. “Keith, wait, c’mon! Don’t be a poor sport! You’re gonna miss the best part!”

But even with Lance’s best persuasive voice, it took nearly twenty minutes to get Keith to come back to the Control Room and finish the movie.

 

If Keith was shocked at Yoda’s sudden appearance, he was absolutely blown away when Luke Skywalker’s parentage was revealed.

Lance, who had long since found even more enjoyment watching the rare collection of emotions crossing Keith’s face, couldn’t help but laugh with glee when his friend’s eyes widened at Darth Vader’s declaration. The Red Paladin blinked, mouth opened wide, before staring at Lance. His mouth tried to form words for a second before he shook his head, pulling his legs up onto his chair and wrapping his arms around them. “I did not see that coming,” he admitted, sounding impressed.

Hunk and Lance shared an amused glance over the top of Keith’s head, the former visibly and barely containing his laughter. Lance wiggled his eyebrows, feeling oddly gratified, before settling back against his seat with a satisfied chuckle.

Coran _hmmphed_  in his corner, looking skeptical. “You’d think, with all this _Force_ mumbo jumbo, that this Skywalker boy would have been able to recognize the presence of his own father. I find that a little hard to believe.”

“I don’t know,” Shiro countered, head tilted at the screen thoughtfully. “It’s a big galaxy. The chances that Luke’s father was not only alive, but actively interacting with his son would go against everything Luke had been told from a young age.” He frowned. “And besides, sometimes, the truth is too horrible to consider, even if it’s staring you right in the face.”

“Shh,” Keith hissed, waving a hand in the air without tearing his eyes from the screen. “I’m trying to listen!”

So they let him.

 

“All right, kids, you’ve had your fun! Movie night is over! Time to get some training in before we call it a night!”

“But Shiro! You can’t leave poor Keith on a cliffhanger!”

“He won’t know what happens to Han Solo!”

“Or his precious Darth Vader!”

“You’re just giving him one more thing to stress about!”

“Don’t be cruel, Shiro!”

“I already have the next one loaded on my laptop! It’s not that long!”

“Please, Shiro?”

The Black Paladin could only stand so much of this barrage of pathetic pleading before hiding in his hands, shoulders hunched over the weight of so much guilt. The younger paladins watched him hopefully, not daring to speak and risk pushing him over the edge. Instead they waited, not looking at each other, just staring Shiro down until-

“Fine. But you guys are running the entire battle simulation _twice_ tomorrow. And there better not be any complaining.”

In answer, the opening score of _Episode VI_ roared into life, heralding the start of the last movie like the trumpets of war.

 

Keith did not cry. Keith was tough, much tougher than Lance – though the latter would never say that out loud – and tough people did not cry. Lance had a sneaking suspicion that his mullet-headed friend had made it through both _Forrest Gump_ and even _Marley and Me_ without shedding a single tear.

If he’d even seen those movies, of course. Lance, reasonably, had his doubts about that.

So when Lance peeked over at the Red Paladin to gauge his reaction to the death of his apparent _hero_ , Darth Vader, and saw tears streaming down his face, he was more than a little taken aback. Keith’s attention was still glued to the screen; for all Lance knew, his friend wasn’t even _aware_ that he was crying. He quickly tore his gaze away, feeling like he’d seen something not intended for his eyes, intruded on something personal and sacred. So Keith, stoic, angsty Keith, had a heart after all…

Before he knew it, the movie ended, the final score blaring as the credits flashed across the screen. Lance watched as Keith furiously swiped at his eyes, trying to remove all traces of his emotional slip-up before anyone could notice. The Blue Paladin remained silent. Say what you will about Lance McClain, but there are lines he knew not to cross, unless he wanted a black eye or a cold shoulder.

Hunk, bless his heart, did not know those lines. “Bro, are you _crying_?!”

Keith’s head shot up at the question. “What?! Me?!” He tried to cover his horror in a vicious glare, and Lance had to physically hide his smirk behind his hands. “I am not _crying_ , Hunk. I just got something in my eye, okay? Dust or something.” He dug the heel of his palm into one of his eyes as evidence.

Pidge’s grin was filled with fiendish malintent. “Aw, Keith, that is so _sweet_.”

While Keith spluttered, Shiro raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You seem awfully attached to a murderous tyrant,” he mused slowly. “Should I be concerned?”

“ _Murderous_?!” Keith thrust his arms at the screen in disbelief, more animated than Lance had ever seen him. “He saved his son! He saved the galaxy, and _gave his life in the process_!” He crossed his arms, looking personally offended. “Darth Vader is the _real_ hero, here, not this whiney Skywalker brat.”

Shiro side-eyed him. “I think you’re missing the point of the movie.”

“No, that _is_ the point!” Pidge jumped to Keith’s defense. “The whole theme of the movie is _balance_. It’s supposed to test people’s pre-made conceptions of Light and Dark, Good and Evil. Darth Vader is supposed to be a Bad Guy, but in the end he sacrifices himself to save the one person who saw any good in him. On the other hand, Luke resorts to violence at the end, which almost costs him his life.”

“Plus,” Lance felt the need to add, “the Dark Side can choke people without even _touching_ them. And that lightning!” He sighed wistfully. “I dare _any_ of you to tell me that it wouldn’t be handy to be able to shoot lightning out of your fingertips whenever you wanted.”

Shiro’s mouth thinned. “Now I’m really concerned.”

“Yeah,” Hunk agreed, eying Lance warily. “You do realize those are the Bad Guys, right? And that Bad Guys do Bad Things?”

Lance waved a hand at Hunk’s misgivings. “Bad, schmad. Let’s be real; Keith, for the first time _ever_ , is right.” Keith’s face scrunched up in surprise, but Lance continued before he could interrupt. “Vader is a better character than Luke. He’s _iconic_.” He shrugged. “You all better face the facts; the Dark Side is just cooler.”

Hunk didn't look convinced. Instead, he turned to Pidge. "We may have a Sith Lord amongst us."

Pidge's brows were furrowed, but a glint of humor was flashing in her eyes. "He's doing an awful job of hiding it..."

“Let us not forget that these are just _films_." Coran sighed. "I don’t think they’re meant to be that mentally-taxing, or reveal any deep truth about those watching.”

“I’ve told you, they’re not just _films_ ¬” Lance began hotly.

Shiro shushed him with a Look. “Lance, they fly around in spaceships and shoot stuff with lasers.”

“Isn’t that all we do?” Lance shot back. Then he blinked, his words actually processing in his own mind. “Wow,” he breathed into the ensuing silence, staring at the floor with wide eyes. “That’s… Guys, are our lives nothing more than well-written science fiction?”

Pidge smirked, still looking a bit bewildered. “I’d hardly say our lives are well-written.”

Lance shrugged. “You know what I mean.”

For another minute or so they sat there, none of them speaking in light of this new and important concept. Finally, Shiro stood, stretching dramatically. “Well,” he began, shaking his head as if to clear it. “I think that’s enough existential crises for one day. What do you say we call it a night, so we can give this extra training regimen our all tomorrow?”

The team followed Shiro’s example with only mild complaining and began to file out of the Control Room, in a sort of daze after sitting for so long. Lance, still oddly bothered by their most recent revelation – their so-called existential crisis – tried to push the thought from his mind by distracting himself with his favorite hobby: teasing Keith. “Hey, buddy,” he said, stopping the dark-haired youth before he could escape through the threshold. “If you have any nightmares about…” He dropped his voice meaningfully and shielded his mouth from the others with the back of his hand. “About _Yoda_ , you come find me, okay?”

Keith rolled his eyes and gave the Blue Paladin a mostly-friendly shove. “I hate you, you know that?”

Lance chuckled and shoved him back. “Be careful, young one,” he cautioned seriously, throwing a restraining arm around his shoulders and wagging a cautionary finger at him. “Hate is the path to the Dark Side.”

“Fuck off, Lance.”

 

It should be said, for the record, that this was not Lance’s fault, either. If anything, it was Keith’s fault. Lance was willing to take some of the blame because, as he always said, Voltron was a team and they should go down like a team. And really, it wasn’t that big of a deal; they’d still managed to avoid any explosions, or stabbings, or otherwise irreparable maimings. As far as screw-ups go, this one was relatively tame.

Technically, it hadn’t even been his _idea_ to show Keith _Star Wars_ , and even if it had, he wouldn’t take it back. The look Keith had on his face watching the cinematic classic for the first time was well worth losing the trust of – and therefore the fledgling alliance with – some stupid little star system. Smiles like that are hard-won from Keith, and even if Lance had known it would result in the Red Paladin accidentally _compromising the mission_ and _putting everyone’s lives in danger_ , he’d do it all over again if it meant he was in any way responsible for that smile.

And in all fairness, no one, not even Lance, could have guessed that Keith would be stupid enough to choose an undercover alias as obvious as _Darth Vader_. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is appreciated! 
> 
> And feel free to find me on Tumblr! http://binary-sunrise.tumblr.com/


End file.
